Rise of the Mighty
by Gwntan12
Summary: Nations see his blood stained history, but do they really see him? Don't they know it was their actions that forced his hand? Blood may be on his hands, but who was it that gave him that push towards the knife? Amestris's past isn't pretty... but who really is at fault? [Prequel to 'Who is Edward Elric']
1. 1429, Born from a Colony

_Year 1429, 3rd of February, Winter._

A young boy sat outside of the house, listening to the argument inside. His mother, his real mother had died recently, just before they moved to the Kingdom of Xerxes's new colony. His father had remarried, but only a month in, putting it very simply, their relationship was already falling apart. He didn't like his father's new wife. She was mean. He wanted his real mother back...

He didn't like his father anymore. When his father had remarried so soon after his first wife's untimely demise, it was almost like a betrayal.

His father and his new wife always argued. His 'new' mother didn't like him, and wanted him gone. His father didn't agree. But when they argued, they always forgot about him.

The argument went silent inside, before footsteps could be heard approaching the front door at a rapid pace.

He fled.

0o0

The boy sat at the edge of the pond, absent-mindedly dipping his feet into the cool water. It was winter, and yet it wasn't even that cold. Tears were running down his face, and yet he didn't seem to notice.

"I hate this," He sniffled. "Why don't they care? What did I do to make them hate me?"

He continued splashing at the water with his feet.

"I wish... that someone could have cared. Why doesn't anyone love me?" He finally noticed his tears and wiped them away from his golden eyes, standing up.

He never noticed someone creeping up on him.

"Hey! What-!" The boy was shoved, making him stumble, before a strong hand pushed his head under the water, holding it there.

He flailed his arms, kicking and screaming as he tried to bring his head up so he could breathe, but to no avail. His screaming was muffled under the water, and it just caused him to lose air faster.

 _"I'm going to die,"_ He thought to himself despairingly.

Everything was dimming, it was dark.

How ironic. The place he loved the most was the same place he was going to die.

 _"It's so cold..."_ The boy thought to himself, as he fell limp, his strength giving out. _"Is this death?"_ Right before everything went dark, he was sure he saw his killer's face.

It was his father.

And he was crying.

Truth only grinned.

0o0

 _Year 1429, 3rd of February, Spring._

A pair of golden eyes looked up at the sky, revealing it's brilliance to the world for the first time.

He slowly sat up, feeling confused. What was he doing here? In fact... who was he?

He looked down at himself, noticing the clothes he was wearing.

He was clothed in a white nightgown, and a bright poppy red satin ribbon was tied around his neck in a bow.

His name... what was it?

A name came to his mind. It seemed so fitting, and he wanted it, even if it really wasn't his.

"Is my name... Amestris?" He tested the name on his tongue, and it rolled off perfectly. He liked it, and he was keeping it.

"That's my name." Amestris decided, before he shakily stood to his feet. "My name will be Amestris."

0o0

 _Year 1429, 31st of March, Spring._

Lady Adelaide, as she was known to the general population of Xerxes, or Lady Xerxes, as she was known to the royal family, longed for a child to call her own.

She had seen human mothers' joy as they carried their little ones. She wanted to know that feeling too. The feeling of holding a life that she created.

Some Nations may call it foolish to partake in such fantasies, but to her, it filled up her human side.

Xerxes had adopted a human child once, but it broke her heart to watch the child age before her eyes and eventually fall to the eternal rest.

She couldn't have a human child. It just caused her too much heartbreak. She wished that there was a Nation child she could call her own.

When her king suggested expanding their country through colonizing, she accepted almost immediately. Perhaps she could gain a child that way? A child she could spoil and dote on?

Xerxes prayed with all her heart that she could find a Nation child who was borne of her colony.

Which led to her arrival at the colony once the people began to settle down. A name had already been picked for this colony, one that she had chosen herself. Amestris. She had always liked that name.

Upon seeing her, the colonists dipped their heads downwards, bending low enough to kiss her shoes as she walked by, her robes sweeping against the dusty ground.

Her two faithful attendants rushed to lift the edges of the embroidered robes to prevent them from getting dirty, but Xerxes paid no mind to them. She had to know if this colony had a child.

As she walked, she distantly could feel something. Something... that seemed to call for her, even if it seemed unintentional.

There was a rustle in the bushes, causing her attendants to tense up, reaching for their weapons.

There was a small squeak of terror, before the bushes stopped rustling, shaking ever so slightly that it required Xerxes to look closely before she noticed it. There was a small flash of gold inside the bushes, and she felt her hopes rise.

She gently moved aside the branches blocking her view, ignoring the protests of her attendants, revealing a tiny child. He had the trademark features of her people, and he wore a white nightie with a red satin ribbon around his neck.

And that feeling he gave off... it was a Nation's aura.

The small child shied away from her, a look of nervousness on his face.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled softly. "I didn't mean for you to hear me. They told me children should be seen and not heard."

Xerxes smiled softly. "That's not true. But why were you hiding there?"

"Not hiding..." He mumbled. "I want to find my mommy. Maybe she'll care about me..."

Xerxes could feel it. This was her child. Her little colony. But why did he think that way? Pushing the thoughts aside for a moment, Xerxes had to make sure...

"What's your name, little one?"

"... Amestris. That's what I think."

He was her child. Her little Amestris.

Xerxes smiled gently, reaching out to ruffle the child Nation's hair. "I'm Xerxes, little Amestris. You don't have to look for your mother anymore. I've been looking for you."

Amestris's eyes brightened up. "Really? You're my mommy?"

Xerxes drew the boy into a hug. "Yes, I am. I'm so happy I finally found you."

Amestris felt something in him piece itself back together. He had a mother now.

Everything was going to be okay now...

Right?

 **[A/N Woo! I got the fast chapter of this story out! And for those of you who don't know, this is actually the prequel of my story, 'Who is Edward Elric?'. While it is not necessary to read that, some things here are referenced there. Also, I will be putting in a few things here that explains some of Edward's actions. I'm not going to point out what actions I'm referring to, but I'll let you guys figure that out on your own.**

 **Also, some of you might wonder about the beginning of this chapter, you know, when that person was drowned. Well, it's just my head canon that a personification is created from the first person who dies in a newly established civilization, no matter what the cause of death was. And, because it was the father who killed Amestris, or the person who became Amestris, that's pretty much the reason he has father issues when he was Fullmetal.**

 **I'm not going to go further into detail, but if you still have questions, leave them in the reviews because I, for some reason, never see PMs.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this, because I sure did!**

 **~ Gwntan12]**


	2. 13th October, Meeting of a Friend

_Year 1429, 13th of October, Autumn._

Amestris didn't adjust to city life quickly. After all, it was quite a shocking transition from a small colony to a large bustling city.

It actually took a month for the little colony to even look out of the window without flinching at the sheer number of citizens.

However, slowly, but surely, Xerxes was gently coaxing her son out of his shell.

She gave him a name, a human name to use. Edward. It fitted, just as well as the name 'Amestris' did.

Xerxes's king gave her tips on children, seeing as how he himself was a parent. Granted, he didn't spend too much time with his children when they were small since he was far too busy, but he did have those rare moments when he was free.

A few months after his arrival at his mother's country, Amestris stumbled across something that absolutely _fascinated_ him while he was poking around the library, since Xerxes insisted he pick up a book once in a while when she wasn't around.

Science.

Alchemy.

Oh, it was _wonderful_. The archaic symbols, the equations; they were absolutely beautiful in Amestris's eyes.

He started studying, memorising everything on Alchemy he could get his hands on. In fact, Xerxes actually had to send someone to drag him out of the library once every few hours so he could some fresh air.

It wasn't really that healthy being stuck in a dusty library the whole day, so Amestris had to balance things out. Every two hours or so, Amestris would drag himself away from the books to go explore the castle grounds.

This was one such time, and this time, he was exploring the gardens. He had recently read about a certain flower in a botany book (Amestris reads _everything_ he gets his hands on), and he wanted to find it for his mother.

Although, since his mother's country was in a desert, his task might prove difficult, seeing as how the flower grew best in damp, shady areas.

Which led to Amestris poking around the shaded areas of the garden, looking for the blue coloured flower.

"You imbecile!" A furious yell caught Amestris's attention, taking his attention off the mushroom he found growing in a slightly damp corner. "You've added too much water to his Majesty's plants! Now you've drowned them!"

"Ah! I'm sorry!" A high, prepubescent voice cried out in pain as his ear was yanked on.

The boy looked to be about twelve years of age, maybe thirteen, but it was hard to tell with the scrawny look he had about him. His face was smudged with dirt, as was his ripped clothes. His blond hair that had cropped short with the fringe swept to the side was almost stained a dirty bronze with grime.

A slave.

But as Amestris saw the boy being scolded, as well as being beaten for his mistake a couple of times, he felt something in his chest.

Hurt. Anger. Pity. But most of all, confusion.

Why?

Something nagged at the back of Amestris's mind. There was something almost familiar here...

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" Amestris could contain himself no longer, rushing to the boy's defence.

The head gardener faltered at the sight of Amestris, his rich clothing giving away his status as the child of someone important.

If he wasn't careful, he thought to himself, this child could possibly complain about him and get him sacked. Something he wasn't ready for since he was well paid for this job.

The head gardener released the slave, albeit reluctantly, before storming off, leaving the two behind.

The boy got up slowly, brushing himself off before he turned to Amestris, amazement in his eyes.

"Thank you, sir!" He thanked Amestris, bowing, much to the colony's confusion.

"Why are you bowing?" Amestris asked curiously. "You don't have to bow. And you're older than me..."

The male shook his head. "It's respectful to bow. I am a lowly slave, and yet you took the time to help me. I'm indebted to you for that."

"You're not indebted to me," Amestris smiled cheerfully. "I don't like seeing mean people be meanies!"

The boy let out a laugh, before he blushed in embarrassment as his stomach gave a loud growl.

"Are you hungry? Wait here! I'll go get something!" Amestris dashed off before the other could say anything.

0o0

Amestris ran back to the garden, in his hands he clutched two small loaves of bread. The cooks adored him, since he would eat everything without complaint, and therefore gave him the bread without any questions.

The boy was still there when he returned, and Amestris skidded to a halt in front of the older male.

"I'm back!" He grinned cheerfully, before he held out the bread for the male. "It's still a little hot, so be careful."

The boy stared at the bread like it was the most precious thing on earth. "Th- this... for me?" His eyes were wide and almost disbelieving.

"Mmmhmm!" Amestris nodded. "Why wouldn't it be?"

The boy took ahold of the bread, the warmth of it fresh from the oven still lingered, the scent of the bread simply wonderful to him.

He never had fresh bread before, just stale, hard pieces.

"Are you... sure?"

"Yep!"

The boy took a bite of it, his eyes widening at he taste, before he immediately devoured the rest to sate his hunger.

"Don't eat so fast! Mommy says that if someone eats too fast, they'll choke!" Amestris exclaimed.

The boy slowed down slightly, but he still inhaled the bread at a speed that would have left the nobles of Xerxes gaping.

As the last of the bread disappeared past his lips, he swallowed, licking his lips as though to savour the taste.

"Here!" Amestris gave the boy the other loaf of bread, which soon followed the other loaf of bread down the boy's oesophagus.

The boy brushed the crumbs off his face, beaming in such a way that he seemed to glow. "Thank you so much! I've never had so much to eat before!"

"No problem!" Amestris grinned widely, before he faltered a bit. "But why don't you get much to eat? Mommy told me that I have to eat lots or I won't grow!"

The boy looked upset. "I'm a slave." He muttered, looking down at his hands. "Slaves don't get a lot of food since they don't need a lot of food to work..."

Amestris's face fell. "That's mean! You should get more food if you're doing all the work!"

The boy shook his head. "That's how it is. No one would care if we died, since slaves are property."

"But that's not right!" Amestris stamped his foot, much like a petulant child would. "Just you wait! When I grow up, I'll make sure that you guys will have better lives! You won't be a slave anymore, I promise it on my name as Ed!"

The boy seemed stunned for a moment, before he grinned. "I'll look forward to it, sir!"

Amestris pouted. "Don't call me sir! I don't like that! Call me Ed!"

"Alright... Ed." The boy smiled, genuinely happy at meeting someone like Amestris, despite him being just a child.

"What do I call you?" The boy seemed shocked shocked that someone asked him that. No wanted to know who he was...

"I'm Slave number forty two." He answered.

Amestris shook his head, pouting childishly once more. "That's not a real name!"

"Unfortunately, it's the only one I've got. I told you, I'm a slave. Slaves don't get names."

Amestris thought hard for a few moments before a metaphorical light bulb lit above his head. "I know! How about I give you one? I'll give a really good one for you, and then you can have name too!"

"Really? You'll do that for me?" The boy asked, his eyes shining brighter than Amestris had ever seen it.

"Yep! And I'll give you the best name ever!"

Amestris thought hard for a moment, racking his brain for suitable name before clicked in his head. It seemed to fit, so Amestris decided on that.

"How about Alfonso? It's a really nice name!"

The boy thought for a moment, before he nodded his head vigorously. "Yes! I really like it!"

"Okay then, Alfonso!" Amestris hugged the now named Alfonso, not caring about the filth that covered the boy. "I'll make sure I'll get you out of slavery, okay? Just hold on for a little while longer!"

When Amestris released Alfonso, the boy had one more question to ask Amestris. "Why would you help me, someone who has no value?"

"Because you're my friend!" Alfonso froze.

Friend...? He actually... had a friend now?

A smile came onto his face. Maybe, just maybe, his life wasn't so bad after all...

0o0

Xerxes put down her quill, finishing the paperwork she needed to do for the day. Unfortunately, she still had a meeting with Xing, the country on the other side of the desert. She felt bad about leaving Amestris on his own for the day, save for during the evening, but she couldn't abandon her own duties.

The best she could do was quickly finish her paperwork as fast as she could, before she spent time with her child.

Fortunately, her king had been giving her less work ever since she brought Amestris back. He really was a thoughtful man. He was probably reminiscing about his own children and how he barely had any time to spare with them, since being a king was a lot of work.

A childish laugh caught Xerxes attention, making her look out of the window since it came from the garden.

Amestris was chattering away with one of the slaves, who she was upset to see was a child, pointing at a damp corner that had a flower.

"They're prettier in real life!" Amestris cheered, spinning on the spot while the other boy had a rather amused look on his face.

Xerxes smiled. Amestris was growing up like a normal child would, away from the responsibilities as a Nation. She briefly wished she had gotten a chance like that, but she shook it off. That was in the past, and what mattered now was the present.

She'd see to it that Amestris would have a happy childhood, before he experienced the pains of being a nation.

He deserved that much, after all.

0o0

"Mommy! Mommy!" Amestris dashed up to Xerxes as soon as he entered her room, clutching a rather pretty blue flower in his hand. "Look! I got you a flower!"

The flower was simple, yet beautiful. She vaguely recalled seeing it in a book once...

A Forget-me-not.

Amestris chattered on. "I saw it in a book once, and I thought it was pretty! It's a Forget-me-not, and so you'll remember me, since you have so many people to remember!"

Xerxes smiled gently at the little colony, taking the flower from him. "It is a very pretty flower. And don't worry, I won't ever forget my little man!"

Amestris beamed, before he continued. "I made a friend too, mommy! I call him Alfonso, since he didn't have a name. He helped me find the flower!"

"Really?" Xerxes pretended to act surprised to humour her son, since she had already seen the obvious signs of friendship between Amestris and the young slave. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy you've made a friend!"

Amestris grinned cheerily, before he held his arms up, as if asking to be carried. Xerxes did just that, holding the colony up against her chest.

Amestris leant his head against Xerxes's shoulder, his initial excitement dying down only to be replaced by sleepiness.

"I want to play with Alfonso tomorrow." He yawned. "Mommy, can you play too?"

Xerxes stroked her son's hair, nodding slightly. "I'll try, Amestris."

Amestris gave her a happy grin. "I love you mommy!"

If Xing noticed how Xerxes was significantly happier later during the meeting, he didn't say anything.

 **[A/N Woohoo! I finished this chapter! I stopped procrastinating!**

 **Well, anyway, there were actually quite a lot of things I didn't intend on adding in here, including the bit about Alfonso. Now you guys know why Edward cares about Alphonse so much, because Alphonse subconsciously reminds him of his first friend. Actually, Alfonso and Alphonse look quite similar.**

 **Also, you guys now know Edward got into Alchemy. It really was just an accident he got into it, I mean, if Xerxes didn't actually convince him to pick up a book, he probably would never have learnt about Alchemy until waaaaaay later.**

 **And to the Guest who reviewed, Amestris does look like Edward, since they're the same person.**

 **I can't wait to write the later chapters, since... yeah. You guys probably know where this is going if you've watched Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. I kinda feel bad for Edward...**

 **Nah, he'll be fine.** **Author out, Dudes!**

 **~ Gwntan12]**


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